Purdue narrowly clinched a vital victory against Nebraska, overcoming a significant setback that saw them relinquish a commanding 20-point lead during the game on Tuesday night in Lincoln. The Boilermakers triumphed 80-77, thanks to Oscar Cluff’s decisive basket with just 5.2 seconds remaining in overtime.
The game started off in Purdue's favor, as they struck early by hitting four three-pointers before the first media timeout, jumping out to an impressive 14-1 lead while effectively stifling Nebraska’s offensive efforts. From the beginning, Purdue showcased their dominance on the boards, accumulating 10 second-chance points in the first half alone. They out-rebounded Nebraska by a remarkable margin of 17, with standout performances from Kaufman-Renn and Cluff contributing heavily to this advantage.
Purdue's head coach, Matt Painter, commented, "We had 20 more possessions than them (Nebraska), and we needed all of them," highlighting the crucial role that possession played in the outcome of the game.
In the second half, however, a turning point arrived when Nebraska mounted an impressive 18-2 run, slicing Purdue's once commanding 22-point lead down to a mere five points with seven minutes left on the clock. Yet, clutch three-pointers from CJ Cox and another from Jack Benter allowed Purdue to momentarily distance themselves again from their opponents.
Despite their efforts, Purdue struggled at the free-throw line as the game neared its conclusion. Missed opportunities were costly; Smith failed to convert a one-and-one, Loyer made only one of two, and Cox missed both of his attempts, resulting in a disappointing 11 out of 20 performance from the charity stripe.
In overtime, Cluff managed to reclaim the lead for Purdue with his crucial basket just before the buzzer, and a turnover from Nebraska further sealed the Boilermakers' narrow escape from Lincoln with a win.
Reflecting on the final moments, Cluff shared, "Once I saw Fletch get stuck, I knew what his first thought was. His first thought was always to go for me, and I was ready to catch it and go."
Leading the scoring for Purdue, Fletcher Loyer netted 18 points, while Braden Smith contributed significantly with 13 points along with 10 assists and eight rebounds. Trey Kaufman-Renn had a dominant presence under the basket, grabbing an impressive 19 rebounds, while Oscar Cluff added 14 boards to the team's effort.
In a notable achievement, Purdue set a new school record by attempting a staggering 46 three-pointers, surpassing the previous record of 36 attempts. Loyer's 17 attempts from beyond the arc rank second in the school's history, just shy of Carsen Edwards’ 19 attempts during the 2019 Elite Eight matchup against Virginia.
Although Purdue attempted 46 three-pointers, they managed to make only 13, resulting in an effectiveness rate of 28.3%. Loyer himself converted just four of his 17 attempts.
Coach Painter remarked, "We had a lot of really good looks that didn’t go down, especially in that second half, but our guys kept playing hard."
Looking ahead, Purdue is set to face Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Saturday evening. The Boilermakers had previously secured a 69-61 victory against the Hawkeyes in West Lafayette last month, driven largely by a strong second-half performance from Braden Smith.
Cluff remarked on the challenges ahead, stating, "It’s just the beginning. We have a huge couple of games coming up and need to keep it rolling all the way until April."
This game certainly raised eyebrows and sparked discussion about Purdue's ability to maintain composure under pressure. What do you think? Can Purdue capitalize on their momentum as the season progresses?
